Improvement in machines for dressing spokes



tuiutl (tetes aunt )i 't-ALPH H. BoYN'roN AND HORACE s. BoYN'roN, or osHKosH, Wisconsin;

Leners Patent No. '108,439, dated caoba 1s, .1870.

IMPROVEMENT l'NMACHlNES FOR DRESSING SPOvKES;V

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent avid making part of the same.

We,"R.A.LPH H. BoYxToN and HoRAcE'S. Bors- TON, ot the city of Oshkosh, lVinnehago county, Wiscousin, have invented a new Spoke Dressing Machine, of which the following is a specification:

Description of Plates.

Figure 1, plate 1, represents'a side elevation.

liigure 2, plate 1, represents aveitical and' longitudinal section through the center ofthe machine.

Figure 3, plate 2, is a top View of the machine with the upper frame and upper set ot' cutter heads removed.

Figure 4,platc 2, is an end 'View ci' that portion of the machine` to the right of dotted lines :v n, as viewed from 'the left lin-nd of the plate.

Figure 5, plate 2', is a view of a section of the cutter-head shaft with one half oi' it removed.

Figure 6, plate 1, isa detached view of cani n and loreto, in position, with the heads closed.

This inventieii relates Ato -iniprovcd machinery for the manufacture oi' spokes for wagons, carriages, and other vehicles for land carriage, and consists ,in the use ot' two sets oi' rotating cutter heads and two eudlcss chains for feed purposes, together with suitable nieclianisn'i for producing a reciprocatingr movement ofthe cutter-heads, theseveral parts being so arranged aiidconibiued relative to each other that each set of cutters will be dressing the opposite or reverse sides of different spokes at the saine time.

General Description.

In the drawing- A represents a franie, upon which are arranged the cutter-head shafts K K, the endless chains C and C', the rocker-shafts F F, and the machinery for giving motion to the sanie.

Frame A is constructed with a center-piece lengthwise through the frame, a portion of which is foi-ined in a suitable manner for supporting and guiding the endless chain feed-bed C', and the remainder of it has a smooth horizontal surface, forming a bed upon which the spoke is carried along past the lower cut-tei'- heads by the joint action of the two endless chains.

The endless chain feed-bed C' is constructed by connecting together short sections with' smooth surfaces, in a manner that will make a exible endless chain suitable for feeding spoke blanks to revolving cutter-headsy Upon this chain are bolts or set-screws, e, corresponding in number with the spokes that can be placed upon it at eachrevolution of the saine. These bolts are placed at equal distances from each other, and are used as stops against which the small end of the spoke ,blankis placed while being dressed.

This chain is made to inove along the guides and around the chain-pulleys by means ofthe gearing seen in fig. 1, plate 1.

The upper frame D is of sufficient weight to hold the spoke firmly on the hed B while being carried forward over the cutters t' ,and is kept from a side or endwise motion bystands 5 5. Frame D is adj ust able in height so as to adapttit to spokesdiifering.inV thickness. l

rlhe shaft upon which is chain-pulleys, and the shaft upon which is bevel-wheel n, are connected byshaft E, which has a ui'iiversaljoint at cach end of it, allowing chain C to more freelywhile at different heights from the bed B. i t

rlhe nppei" chain C is constructed like chain C,

with the addition of raised pieces across a portion of the sections, which pieces are shaped to fit onto the dressed side ot' the spoke. The one that i'ests upon the' butt of the spoke `is straight, and the others are curved to tit the spoke at the point where they respectivel y rest upon it. A i

'.Lhe chain is made to 'inove in guides ou the under side of frame D and around chain-pulleysv c', by means oi' gearing, as shown in fig. 3, plate 2.

rlhe gearing is so arranged that each chain moves with the saine speed, and the chains are so adjusted that the bolts e meet upon a vertical line, as seen at 4in fig. 2, plate-1.

rI he cutter-heads 'i i t are fitted in a manner so that they slide freely upon their arbors, and each head is connected to an inside rod, H, as seen in fig. 5,'.

plate 2. y

These heads are provided with cutters of suitable shape to produce, in conjunction with cam n, the varied forms of the spoke.

The distance between the two sets ot' cutter-heads is the saine as the distance between two of the bolts e on the chains; hence it will be seen that the lower set of cutters will commence dressing the under side of the first spoke at the saine tiniethat the upper set coinnielice dressing the upper `'side of the second spoke.

The rocker shafts F F are-constructed with uprigh-ts at each end that connect at their upper ends with the cutter-heads by rods H, as seen in iig. 5, plate 2.

Each rocker-shaft has on arm projecting from the center of it, at right angles with the upriglits, which meet midway in the machine, as seen in iig. 4, plate `2. These arms are constructed with teeth upon their inner ends, which inesh into each other, so that power applied to one will give motion to each of them.

The lever O, seen in fig. (1,plate 1, is hinged to the frame at l.

rlhe free end ot' this lever is connected with one of the ariiis G, in a manner to allow-a free vertical movenient of the lever and arms.` l Gain a and lever O, as represented by dotted lines in iig. 2, plate 1, show their relative position when the cutters' are in position to commence the dressing oi' a spokeA Fig. 6, plate 1, shows .the relative position of the cam and lever when the cutters have completed a spoke.

At each revolution of shaft L, the cam depresses the free endl of leven 0, and, through the medium of the rocker-shafts F Ffadits connections, it causes the cutter-heads upon each shaft to move simultaneously toward each other in the line of their shafts.` y y The reverse movement of the heads is produced by a spring, T, connecting the arms with the top or center-piece of frame A. At each revolution of shaft L, a section or cnam C,

heads. Y t

It will be Seemthat the reciprocating movement of the cutter-heads produced hy the alternate action of the earn and spring, and the movement of a section of the chains pastt-he entterfheads, corresponds in' point of time. n

The cutter-heads Mit and feed-pulley lt receive motion by belts i-m a counter shaft placed upon the door at the left of the machine, asitis represented i'n the drawing. V

Upon the same shaft with pulleylt, are bevel pin- '.ions t t', meshing into'bevel-wheels u and u.

. These wheels, upon their'respective shafts,.im1art,

motion to the chains G and C', in the direction indicated by the arrows.'

Operation..

The machine being in motion, and the chains being so adjusted that lthe bolts e on the chains will meet on a vertical lille,` as seen at/l. in lig. 2, plate I, and the cani soadjusted that ythev cutter-heads will. open as soonas bolts e have passed the cutter-heads, a spoke l. blank willbe placed upon chain G with the small end against holte, when the chain is in the position seen if. fig. 1, plate 1, and the edge of the butt ofthe spokeagainst guide-l2, seen' in fig. 3, plate' 2. As the chain moves along it carries the spoke under pressure rollers 3 3, .and onto bed B until one of the bolts e on the upper chain"comes down behind the spoke.

-At this point both chains havea hold'upon the spoke and. are lforcing it along, but the lower chain C soon looses its hold -upon the spoke, which is forced as divided by the bolts e, is moved past the cutter along .over the lower set of cutter-headsand out of the machine in a finished state by theja'ction of the upper chain alone. L i

When the first spoke has moved far enough to allow of it, another spoke blank will .be placed upon the chain in the same manneras the first blank, and asv they move along each one reaches their respective euttersat the same time, and each set of cutters finish dressing the reverse or opposite sides' of didere'nt spokes ,at'the same time. By using two endless feedchains, and two sets of rotating cutter-heads, arrangedr and combined substantially as described, a spoke can be dressed'as often asga section of the chains passesy a given point on the machine or pasta-setof cutters,

the operation requiring no other manuallaho'r than the act .ofplacing a blank upon each returning section of the lower chain, which blanks are then carried pastW the cut-ters and out of the machine in a finished state, twice as rapidly as when dressed upon a feedbed requiring the spoke to f be turned and itsposition on the bed to be changed in order to uisli dressing it.Y

Having described our invent-ion andthe method of operatingr the same,

What we claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent, isi v 1. The adjustable endless kchain U and shaft E,

when arranged to operate snbstautiallyas shownfand Witnesses for It. H. BoYxToX J. E. BnAnDsLnY, M. D. Darmon. Witnesses for H. S. Bormes:

.CHARLES W. BREWER, E. A.jGHURo.H. 

